A Cowboys front office source says that the Cowboys all-Pro linebacker will likely be off the field for the next two to three weeks, recovering from his latest bout with a hamstring injury, suffered early in Sunday's loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
Lee missed two games earlier this season with a similar injury. In those two games -- home losses to the Rams and Packers -- the Cowboys defense gave up 35 points in each game. Add that to the Cowboys defense allowing 27 points against Atlanta on Sunday, and the defense is allowing an average of 32.3 points per game in games that Sean Lee does not play.
The Cowboys are careful with players who have soft tissue injuries. Cornerback Chidobe Awuzie has missed six of the past seven games because of a recurring hamstring issue but is expected to practice fully this week.
Lee has missed seven games in his career due to a hamstring strain, dating back to his rookie year in 2010.
"You have to be very deliberate with this injury, obviously," Garrett said. "It's one of those injuries if you don't watch it, it can really go from being bad to worse quickly and you can lose a guy for an extended period of time. You want to make sure you handle it the right way as you would with any injury, but these soft tissue injuries can be damaging that way.
"We'll handle Sean's situation the way we always handle the injuries: If he's ready to play, he'll have a chance to play. We certainly will not rush him back. When he has an opportunity to play for us and help us, he'll be in the lineup."
Despite missing two games, Lee ranks second on the Cowboys with 52 combined tackles, and he continues to be one of the NFL's best linebackers.
